Juicing machines = healthy; packet juice = unhealthy

Juicing machines allow you to make fantastic healthy juices rammed with good guys. That interests me. That makes me happy. Sometimes you see something on Facebook that really captures this sentiment. Buying and using your own juicing machine is an investment you’ll never regret.

I often read stuff from experts of one sort or another suggesting that juicing fruit has little more benefit than drinking coke or pepsi. They suggest that the fructose from fruits like oranges and apples tips the balance towards the juice being unhealthy as the fibre is removed during juicing. No fibre = greater concentration of fructose = unhealthy. But does this logic apply to juice from juicing machines?

Well it may be the case for the highly processed juices that come in packets. But by relying on your very own juicing machine you are in control. And the juice you produce is luscious healthy and rammed with good guys. Fruit does contain fructose but it also contains antioxidants, bioflavonoids and all manner of phytonutrients (plant derived good guys). I really cannot follow the fruit juice hating logic. Pepsi or packet juice is totally different to juice from juicing machines.

Which type juicing machine you use does have an impact but if you’re using your own fruit and vegetables for juicing, especially if you use organic produce, you’re onto a winner! Use a variety of colourful stuff and you really are in.

What’s wrong with packet juice?

Well the stuff you get in packets has a number of issues

Juice is pasteurised – This process allows it to be stored for months.It is heated to a high temperature for a short period of time. This destroys bacteria, moulds, and unwanted micro-organisms, that may be present. See How Healthy is that Juice? Juice and Pasteurization

Packet juice from concentrate – juice is concentrated, frozen and stored til required. Then add water and bingo. Juice for the masses.

Not from concentrate juice – it’s squeezed, dried and stored until required. Then add water and some skullduggery to make it taste nice

The trouble is the remaining juice product is largely bereft of good guys, in stark contrast to the juicing machines. Some nutrition survives or is fortified later in the manufacturing process. But largely it’s a pretty poor show. Worse, the sugar content is high, like soft drinks. The horrible Daily Mail has an informative look at how sugary supposedly commercially available fruit juice and smoothies are. The answer is disappointing.

But there’s more. Much more. As the Facebook image illustrates many of the juice products are owned and ultimately produced by companies other than who appear on the front of the packet. This means that profit rather than health is driving production. As such there could be other nefarious nutritionally bereft stuff going into our packet juice. The Bloomberg Business site reports that Coke use an algorithm to make their Simply Orange product

The Black Book model includes detailed data about the myriad flavors—more than 600 in all—that make up an orange, and consumer preferences. Those data are matched to a profile detailing acidity, sweetness, and other attributes of each batch of raw juice. The algorithm then tells Coke how to blend batches to replicate a certain taste and consistency, right down to pulp content. Another part of Black Book incorporates external factors such as weather patterns, expected crop yields, and cost pressures. This helps Coke plan so that supplies will be on hand as far ahead as 15 months. “If we have a hurricane or a freeze,” Bippert says, “we can quickly replan the business in 5 or 10 minutes just because we’ve mathematically modeled it.”

Clever but hardly natural. Hardly simply orange. And not what I want in my morning juice. I’d prefer a nice cabbage, ginger and lemon juice to that rubbish!

What’s right with using juicing machines?

It’s a million times more healthier approach. You retain the good guys in your juice, particularly with slow juicing machines. Again from the How Healthy Juice article

Fructose, the kind of sugar that is found naturally in fruit and vegetables, is fine in moderation when consumed R-A-W. This is because the live enzymes and nutrients that chaperon the sugar, offer the body much needed nourishment, and help the body to break down and assimilate itself, all the while, nourishing the body.

Fruit and vegetables juices, that are freshly pressed, are quite possibly one of the most hydrating, nourishing and healing drinks you can consume.

I’m not worried about overdoing the fructose in my juice. Mix up the ingredients and you really don’t have to think about. When preparing your juice add some fruit to sweeten your greens. A better way of looking at it is to use fruit to soften the flavour. Mix up your ingredients, use recipes if you like. There’s some great ones on this site, such as melon lemonade. That’s just luscious. When using greens break yourself in gently and as I said use fruits to soften the taste.

Best Priced Slow Juicing Machines

This Matstone Juicer is about the cheapest slow juicer you’ll find and has 5 Years Parts and Labour Warranty and 12 Years Motor WarrantyClick through to Amazon

It’s all about moderation. Don’t overdo your fruit juice, too much sugar is not good for you.

Picking from all the juicing machines available is not a decision to be made lightly. Do your research and invest wisely! I like the slow juicing machines as they retain more of the nutrients as they crush the veg/fruit.